Suction dredge having endless digger aligned with suction pipe

ABSTRACT

A digging suction dredge has a suction tube and an endless conveyor-type digging device whose frame is rigid with the intake end of the suction tube along a line which is parallel to the centerline of the intake end of the suction tube. The endless member has digging paddles thereon that fan out about end rollers to discharge material to the suction tube.

United States Patent Inventor Pieter Theodor Velzehoer Monster, Netherlands Appl. No. 806,987

Filed Mar. 13, 1969 Patented Sept. 7, 1971 Assignee N. V. Industrieele llandelscomhinate Holland, Rotterdam, Netherlands SUCTION DREDGE HAVING ENDLESS BIGGER ALIGNED WITH SUCTION PIPE References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 401,896 4/1889 McFarlane 37/66 1,148,816 8/1915 Alleman 37/60 UX 1,731,838 10/1929 Andersen 37/60 3,160,966 12/1964 Skakel 37/60 FOREIGN PATENTS 512,627 11/1930 Gennany 37/66 1,289,625 2/1962 France 157/66 Primary Examiner-Robert E. Pulfrey Assistant Examiner-Clifford D. Crowder Attamey-Young & Thompson ABSTRACT: A digging suction dredge has a suction tube and an endless conveyor-type digging device whose frame is rigid with the intake end of the suction tube along a line which is parallel to the centerline of the intake end of the suction tube. The endless member has digging paddles thereon that fan out about end rollers to discharge material to the suction tube.

A 1/. \\\v/ w u o 3 5 INVENTOR P/ETER 72%50004 V22 25505,

BY v UM ATTORNEYS SUCTION DREDGE HAVING ENDLESS BIGGER ALIGNED WITH SUCTION PIPE This invention relates to a digging suction dredge provided with a suction tube having a rotatable digging, cutting or ploughing member fixed relative to the suction tube and having digging, cutting or ploughing elements movable relative to the fixed member so that the loosened earth is moved toward the orifice of the suction tube by these elements.

In the prior art cutting or digging dredges of this type, a rotatable digging or cutting member is provided with a number of digging or cutting elements which are rotatable about a centerline which substantially coincides with or is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the suction tube. The

digging on cutting elements are thus rotated in a plane sub-- stantially perpendicular to the centerline of the suction tube. If the earth loosened by the digging or cutting elements is to be sucked away through the suction tube, this soil will have to change its direction of movement after having been loosened. This inconvenience has already been recognized. To remove this inconvenience, up till now, a solution was sought in the shape of the digging or cutting elements which were designed such that the soil, when being loosened, was moved in a direction at a small angle to the main suction direction of the suction tube. Although in this way, a more efficient operation of the suction tube is obtained, there remains the inconvenience that a substantial portion of the loosened soil does not arrive at the suction tube.

The object of the invention is to provide for a cutter suction dredge of the above-mentioned kind in which the said inconveniences are at least largely removed.

According to the invention this is achieved in that th digging member is secured fixedly relative to an end portion of the suction tube which is movable relative to the remaining portion of the suction tube, the digging elements of the digging member being secured to an endless member passing over two end rollers, whereby the direction of movement of the digging elements is substantially in the same direction as the direction of suction of the said end portion of the suction tube. Thus, the soil, when being loosened by the digging, cutting or ploughing member, is displaced in the direction in which the water which has to take up the soil is sucked in.

in a preferred embodiment, the longitudinal direction of the digging member forms the extension of the center line of the said end portion of the suction tube. V

Preferably, the direction of movement of the digging member is reversible and the digging elements are designed for digging in both directions.

Also, the said end portion of the suction tube may have a funnel-shaped enlarged orifice.

The invention will now be further illustrated referring to the description of an embodiment of which the drawing shows an elevational view.

The drawing shows the lower portion of the suction tube designated 1. In front of the orifice 2 of the suction tube 1 is the digging or cutting member 3 composed of at least one endless member 4 which may for example be a chain and which carries the digging or cutting elements 5. The endless member 4 is passed over at least two spaced rotatable end rollers 6. The axes of rotation 7 of the end rollers 6 are perpendicular to the plane of the drawing and they are in a plane in which the centerline of the said end portion of the suction tube 1 lies.

The digging or cutting member 3 works on a soil wall 9. To excavate this soil wall, the digging member 3 is moved in the direction of the arrow 10. The area on the opposite side of the digging member 3 has already been dug away.

When working the soil wall 9, the endless member 4 is circulated in the direction of the arrow 11 by the rotation of at least one of the end rollers 6, whereupon the digging elements remove portions of the soil wall 9. The removed soil is moved in the direction of the arrow 11 by the digging elements 5, to the orifice 2 of the suction tube 1 Conventional power means (not shown) are provided for driving the endless member 4 in the manner of a power driven conveyor.

In the neighborhood of the suction tube orifice, the endless member 4 passes over the upper end roller 6 as shown in the drawing. The digging elements 5, which remain substantially parallel along the straight runs of endless member 4, fan out when passing about the end rollers 6; and the adjacent digging elements 5 thus diverge from each other from their point of securement to endless member 4, outwardly toward their free ends. By this change in relative position of the digging elements, the soil between the digging elements is freed and this soil can be sucked away easily be the suction tube from the spaces between the digging elements.

Thus the soil after having been loosened by the digging or cutting member is subjected to a movement in a direction which is substantially coincident with the main direction of suction of the suction tube, which is also the direction in which the water sucked up by the suction tube is moved.

The movement of the water which is sucked up promotes loosening of the soil from between the digging elements at the height of the suction tube orifice. The spaces between the digging elements 5 are flushed clean by the water flowing along the endless member to the suction tube orifice.

Preferably, the portion 1 of the suction tube is provided with a funnel-shaped element 12 of which the narrower end connects to the suction tube, whereas the wider end thereof encompasses the adjacent portion of the digging or cutting member with some clearance. The right side of the funnelshaped element 12 has the effect that the soil between the digging elements is guided to the suction tube orifice, as this soil comes free at a certain distance from the suction tube ori free, as the digging elements start to fan out. The opposite or left side of the funnel-shaped element 12 has the effect that the portion of the water sucked in by the suction tube at that location flows countercurrent to the direction of movement of the digging elements 5, so that adjacent the digging elements and between them eddies are created in the sucked-up water, and this contributes to cleaning the spaces between the digging elements. At the same time, the flow of relatively clean water between the digging elements and the adjacent funnel wall is decelerated, whereby a richer mixture is dredged.

The portion 1 of the suction tube which is shown in the drawing can if desired by secured to one or more further portions of the suction tube by means of a universal joint in the form of a ball joint or the like (not shown), whereby the digging member 3 can be moore easily maintained at a desired height and orientation relative to the soil wall 9.

it should be noted that the number of endless members 4 can be varied. Also, the number of digging elements 5 and the shape thereof can be varied. The end rollers 6 can be supported and made to rotate in any convenient way.

It should be clear that alterations may be made within the scope of the invention.

In the example described, the longitudinal axis of the digging member 3 coincides with the extension of the center line 8 of the end portion 1 of the suction tube. This design will be chosen if the direction of movement of the endless member 4 is reversible to permit the cutter dredge to be operative in the usual way with a swinging motion. Obviously, it is also possible to shift the centerline of the digging member 3 slightly to the left as seen in the drawing, whereby a more favorable supply to the suction tube orifice is obtained; but to be able to have the cutter dredge dig in a swinging fashion, the assembly of end portion 1 of the suction tube and the digging member 3 will in this later case have to be rotatable at the universal joint about the centerline of portion ll.

Having described my invention I claim:

1. A digging suction dredge comprising a suction tube having an end portion with an open intake end, and an elongated said end portion of the suction tube, one of said end rollers being disposed in immediate proximity to said end portion and the other of said end rollers being disposed substantially in alignment with said end portion and on the side of said one roller which is opposite said end portion, said endless member having digging elements thereon so disposed that when said endless member circulates about said rollers, said digging elements move in substantially the same direction as the direction of suction of the end portion of the suction tube and spread apart as said digging elements pass about said one en roller.

2. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, in which the longitudinal extent of the digging member substantially coincides with the centerline of said end portion of the suction tube.

3. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, and a frame interconnecting said end rollers and fixedly secured in unitary assembly with said intake end of the suction tube with said frame extending parallel to the centerline of said end portion of the suction tube.

4. A dredge as claimed in claim 3, the centerline of said frame substantially coinciding with the centerline of said intake end of said suction tube.

5. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, said intake end of said suction tube having a substantially funnel-shaped enlargement at its end, said one end roller being nested in said enlargement.

6. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, said digging elements comprising outwardly extending digging paddles thereon that maintain constant spacing from each other when passing between said end rollers but that fan out away from each other when passing over at least said one end roller thereby to discharge material to said intake end of said suction tube.

7. A dredge as claimed in claim 6, said intake end of said suction tube having a substantially funnel-shaped enlargement at its end, said one end roller being nested on said enlargement. 

1. A digging suction dredge comprising a suction tube having an end portion with an open intake end, and an elongated endless digging member trained over a pair of end rollers and having its lengthwise extent substantially in alignment with said end portion of the suction tube, one of said end rollers being disposed in immediate proximity to said end portion and the other of said end rollers being disposed substantially in alignment with said end portion and on the side of said one roller which is opposite said end portion, said endless member having digging elements thereon so disposed that when said endless member circulates about said rollers, said digging elements move in substantially the same direction as the direction of suction of the end portion of the suction tube and spread apart as said digging elements pass about said one end roller.
 2. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, in which the longitudinal extent of the digging member substantially coincides with the centerline of said end portion of the suction tube.
 3. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, and a frame interconnecting said end rollers and fixedly secured in unitary assembly with said intake end of the suction tube with said frame extending parallel to the centerline of said end portion of the suction tube.
 4. A dredge as claimed in claim 3, the centerline of said frame substantially coinciding with the centerline of said intake end of said suction tube.
 5. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, said intake end of said suction tube having a substantially funnel-shaped enlargement at its end, said one end roller being nested in said enlargement.
 6. A dredge as claimed in claim 1, said digging elements comprising outwardly extending digging paddles thereon that maintain constant spacing from each other when passing between said end rollers but that fan out away from each other when passing over at least said one end roller thereby to discharge material to said intake end of said suction tube.
 7. A dredge as claimed in claim 6, said intake end of said suction tube having a substantially funnel-shaped enlargement at its end, said one end roller being nested on said enlargement. 